3 April - an easy day

Murky, murky morning but signs of a clearance. It was humid or 'close' as I said to a small party later in the day. Don't think they knew what I was talking about. Would anyone out there have understood?

It was mid-afternoon before vague sunshine was detected - a slight feeling of warmth rather than actually seeing sun, just as we arrived at Scar Crags having returned from Causey Pike. Another walker stopped briefly - he was 'doing the Wainwrights' - and why not? He was obviously enjoying his day out and heading for Outerside and Barrow, we for the path down to Rigg Beck and 'home'.

Note: the photo was taken today descending Blaeberry Fell (today) though the BlackBerry does not do justice to the rainbow and has no relevance to the day described! Don't ask! BlogPress and the BB are not behaving at present so posts are brief to minimise my frustration.

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4 April - An issue resolved

There is a serious problem in Scotland at the moment and no, it's not Alex Salmond, the September referendum on independence, or wind farms (though they are problems). No, it is the distressing fact that the item below is no longer to be found in any of the major supermarkets north of the border:






But never fear, supplies are to be had in Booths and will be smuggled over the border in due course. This particular bottle is, by the way, now deceased.

2 April - a decent day out

"April brings the annual miracle of spring to Lakeland, the daffodils and the blossom and the tourists".

Except for the daffodils all else was more or less absent; what wasn't absent was a wind with an edge to it. Just beyond the fine summit cairn of Dale Head we were glad to don our Rab Hoodies and Paramo Cascada trousers as we enjoyed a quick lunch at a not-so-sheltered spot overlooking the lovely Newlands Valley.

We had arrived here via the mine track where Herdwicks, true hill-sheep, grazed quietly unperturbed by our presence, lambs by their sides; birds song emanated from the bare, solitary larch.

A descent via Dale Head Mine was contemplated and rejected - that is a route up for the future. As the photo tells, our return was via High Spy and Maiden Moor.

With so much snow on the Scottish hills, high up at any rate, I was expecting the odd snow field here and there but no, hardly a patch to be seen except on the Scafell range.



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The Lakes

We arrived in temperatures double those at home. It's not warm exactly but it is a big improvement; it's also dry.

Tradition demanded a late afternoon walk up Walla Crag from where the photograph was taken.

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Proprietorial Herdwick

 

 

12 March - Glen Bee

Upper Glen Devon res from our lunch spot

It's a very fine walk out to Glen Bee if you take the right route, but what's missing from this photograph is the presence of...

Upper Glen Devon Reservoir and Burnfoot Windfarm - soon to be extended by 8 turbines

There will now be a pause in posting, perhaps a very long pause, while I consider the future of this blog. In the interim we will, hopefully, be very active with many plans for day from the 'van trips, island hills (Rum Cuillin, Islay and Jura and of course Skye), the Lake District, some backpacking,  and so on. Enjoy summer when it comes!

11 March - Sun, larks and the Angel's Share

Distant Ben Cleuch, (centre) from the road to the Glen Devon Reservoirs

Our plan for the day was to visit The Law. This hill, as with all the western tops of the Ochils, is more usually and more easily climbed from Tillicoultry but since the road in the photograph above will no doubt be closed in the near future as the construction of yet another wind farm begins, we decided to save the 'hillfoots' approaches for those dark days.

Ben Cleuch and Ben Buck, right.

As we wandered along we could smell the 'Angel's Share' from the Tullibardine Distillery at Blackford, the perfect addition to sun and scenery. A lark sang high above as if revelling in the arrival of spring before falling like stone until, a few feet above the ground, it hovered momentarily then gently landed hidden among the tufty grasses. Then another.

Later, a buzzard was seen and heard, a common enough experience but never, ever, one to be taken for granted.

The Law - for another day

..... in the end we opted for Cleuch.

Lower Glendevon Reservoir and Wether Hill

We sat here soaking up the late afternoon sun. All was well with our world.

The trip was around 19km.

10 March - High Pressure

Castlehill Reservoir - where the car is parked

We had hoped to be in the Highlands this week or perhaps the Lake District but about ten days ago I was smitten by a nasty bug and have just finished a course of antibiotics. So, rather than waste the good weather that has arrived by rushing around packing the motorvan and spending yet another day driving, we decided to spend the week locally and enjoy the fine weather.

I'm not going to post much about the forthcoming trips other than briefly record the day out with a few photographs.

The view to Whitewisp Hill from just below the cairn on Tarmangie Hill

We had a grand day (18km) in spring sunshine, birds singing, shadows drifting over the hillsides.

Northwards the hills are plastered and gullies would be death on a stick I reckon. That said, if the mood takes us we might just take a drive further north and have a day on sunlit snow.

Easter Downhill from Castlehill Reservoir

Winter Words

From the comfort of Pitlochry Festival Theatre I'm looking out over a fast-flowing river Tummel to Ben Vrackie's sunlit snow fields.

While Lynne reads her 'Tale o Peter Kinnen' and signs books, I have had an interesting conversation with author and battle re-enactor Rob Low who is here to talk about 'Bannockburn, Bruce and the Kingdom Series'.

Some BP friends are up from Hertfordshire for Lynne's 'Literary Lunch' and other Winter Words offerings and while they enjoy that, I'll be listening to a free event - 'War Poets' readings (Sassoon, Kipling and Owen). About to begin.

There is a lovely buzz here and we really must attend more events at this Festival next year.





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Pitlochry Festival Theatre - Winter Words Festival, Saturday 22 February 2014

This Saturday, Lynne will be appearing twice at the final day of the Winter Words Festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

In the morning she will be reading her Scots Translation of Beatrix Potter's 'The Tale of Peter Rabbit' - The Tale o Peter Kinnen, now in its fourth edition.

Then in the p.m. she is guest speaker at a Literary Lunch where she will talk about her book Beatrix Potter's Scotland - Her Perthshire Inspiration. (Luath Press, Edinburgh)

Details can be found here